Review: ‘Hall of Heroes: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology’

Hall of Heroes: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology by [Burke, H. L., VanArendonk Baugh, Laura, Zaplendam, Page, Ippolito, Janeen, Dearen, Tamie, Fugett, Deanna, Ashwood, Sarah, Luke, Frank B., Daigle, Arthur, Silverberry, A. R., E. Kaiser Writes, A. J. Bakke, Dianne Astle, RJ Conte, D. W. Frauenfelder, Laura Matthias Bendoly, J. Philip Horne, Julie C. Gilbert, Karin Di Havin, Lea Doué, Katy Huth Jones, David Millican, Jessica L. Elliott ]

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: 21 Jun. 2017

I.S.B.N.: 978-1548275334

Format: EBook or Paperback

Price: £0.00 (Ebook); £12.57 (Paperback)

 

Blurb

Twenty-Seven Thrilling Tales from Amazing Fantasy Authors!

Whether they are unwitting, plucky, or just plain epic, heroes capture the imagination and rescue us from everyday life. With stories set in fantastic, magical realms, gritty urban landscapes, and fairytale kingdoms, our heroes stand fast as defenders of good. Struggling against evil governments, wicked demi-gods, wrathful nature, supernatural con-men, and their own insecurities, each must find the strength to triumph and the will to persevere.

In the second anthology from the Fellowship of Fantasy, twenty-three authors explore the theme of heroes, covering genres ranging from steampunk and fairytale to urban and Arthurian. These are the heroes you’ve been waiting for.

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Review: ‘Grimsby Streets’, by Emma Lingard

 

Grimsby Streets

Published By: Pen & Sword History

Publication Date: 6th July 2017

I.S.B.N.: 9781473876019

Format: Paperback

Price: £12.99

Blurb

Grimsby Streets is a journey through time, which examines the meaning of many of the towns names and their association with the Danish settlers, through to the Victorian era, and the men who helped develop the town and build its surrounding docks.

Names of the great and good that were forgotten until now are explored, as well as some of the many famous people who were born there, and where they lived. The book also covers the many incidents, which occurred on Grimsby’s streets, to give a colourful insight into the history of this once famous fishing port and some of the many wonderful buildings that stood in this proud port.

Included throughout are a selection of old photographs, some of which have never been published before, which for many folk will give them a reminder of what this town used to be like before change and demolition in the 1960s.

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Review: ‘The Mask of Sanity’, by Jacob M. Appel

Published by: Permanent Press

Publication Date: 31st March 2017

I.S.B.N.: 978-1579624958

Price: $25.91

 

Blurb

On the outside, Dr. Jeremy Balint is a pillar of the community: the youngest division chief at his hospital, a model son to his elderly parents, fiercely devoted to his wife and two young daughters. On the inside, Dr. Jeremy Balint is a high-functioning sociopath–a man who truly believes himself to stand above the ethical norms of society. As long as life treats him well, Balint has no cause to harm others. When life treats him poorly, he reveals the depths of his cold-blooded depravity.

At a cultural moment when the media bombards us with images of so-called sociopaths who strive for good and criminals redeemed by repentance,The Mask of Sanity offers an antidote to implausible tales of evil gone right. In contrast to fictional predecessors like Dostoyevesky’s Raskolnikov and Camus’ Meursault, Dr. Balint is a man who already has it all –and will do everything in his power, no matter how immoral, to keep what he has.

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Review: ‘Women in the Great War’, by Stephen Wynn and Tanya Wynn

 

Women in the Great War

Published by: Pen and Sword Military

Publication date: 5th June 2017

I.S.B.N.: 9781473834149

Price: £12.99

 

Blurb

The First World War was fought on two fronts. In a military sense it was fought on the battlefields throughout Europe, the Gallipoli peninsular and other such theatres of war, but on the Home Front it was the arduous efforts of women that kept the country running.

Before the war women in the workplace were employed in such jobs as domestic service, clerical work, shop assistants, teachers or as barmaids. These jobs were nearly all undertaken by single women, as once they were married their job swiftly became that a of a wife, mother and home maker. The outbreak of the war changed all of that. Suddenly, women were catapulted into a whole new sphere of work that had previously been the sole domain of men. Women began to work in munitions factories, as nurses in military hospitals, bus drivers, mechanics, taxi drivers, as well as running homes and looking after children, all whilst worrying about their men folk who were away fighting a war in some foreign clime, not knowing if they were ever going to see them again.

 

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Review: ‘Childhood & Death in Victorian England’, by Sarah Seaton

 

Childhood and Death in Victorian England

Imprint: Pen & Sword History 
ISBN: 9781473877023 
Published: 19th June 2017                 Price: £12.99

Blurb

In this fascinating book, the reader is taken on a journey of real life accounts of Victorian children, how they lived, worked, played and ultimately died. Many of these stories have remained hidden for over 100 years. They are now unearthed to reveal the hardship and cruel conditions experienced by many youngsters, such as a travelling fair child, an apprentice at sea and a trapper. The lives of the children of prostitutes, servant girls, debutantes and married women all intermingle, unified by one common factor – death. Drawing on actual instances of Infanticide and baby farming the reader is taken into a world of unmarried mothers, whose shame at being pregnant drove them to carry out horrendous crimes yet walk free from court, without consequence. For others, they were not so lucky. The Victorian children in this publication lived in the rapidly changing world of the Industrial Revolution. With the introduction of the New Poor Law in 1834 the future for some pauper children changed – but not for the better. Studies have also unearthed a religious sect known as the ‘Peculiar People’ and gives an insight into their beliefs. This book is not recommended for those easily offended as it does contain graphic descriptions of some child murders, although not intended to glorify the tragedies, they were necessary to inform the reader of the horrific extent that some killers went to. This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the social history of the Victorian period.

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Author Spotlight: Ted Galdi

Afternoon all, having a good weekend?

I’m full of cold and have had to cancel all sorts of fun plans, however it does mean I’ve got time to write a blog post or two. Which brings me nicely to the subject of today’s ‘Author Spotlight’.

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Review: ‘Best Day Ever’, by Kaira Rouda

Best Day Ever Paperback  by

 

  • ISBN: 9781848456914
  • Imprint: HQ
  • On Sale: 07/09/2017
  • Format: Paperback
  • List Price: £7.99

 

LINK

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb
A loving husband. The perfect killer?
‘I wonder if Mia thinks I have a dark side. Most likely as far as she knows, I am just her dear loving husband.’
Paul Strom has spent years building his perfect life: glittering career, beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in the suburbs.

But he also has his secrets. That’s why Paul has promised his wife a romantic weekend getaway. He proclaims this day, a warm Friday in May, will be the best day ever.

Paul loves his wife, really, he does. But he also wants to get rid of her. And with every hour that passes, Paul ticks off another stage in his elaborately laid plan

Behind Closed Doors meets Liane Moriarty in this creepy, fast-paced psychological thriller with a twist you won’t see coming!

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Extract: ‘An Almond for a Parrot’

You may remember last month I reviewed An Almond for a Parrot, by Wray Delaney. This month, as part of the blog tour for this novel I would like to present to you and extract of the novel.

 

Almondparrot

Published by: HQ, HarperCollins

Publication date: 27th July 2017

Format: Paperback

I.S.B.N.: 9780008182533

 

Blurb

‘I would like to make myself the heroine of this story – an innocent victim led astray. But alas sir, I would be lying…’
London, 1756: In Newgate prison, Tully Truegood awaits trial. Her fate hanging in the balance, she tells her life-story. It’s a tale that takes her from skivvy in the back streets of London, to conjuror’s assistant, to celebrated courtesan at her stepmother’s Fairy House, the notorious house of ill-repute where decadent excess is a mustTully was once the talk of the town. Now, with the best seats at Newgate already sold in anticipation of her execution, her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who can help her avoid the gallows.

She is Tully Truegood.

Orphan, whore, magician’s apprentice.

Murderer?

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